Top 10 Reasons to Trek Everest Three Passes: A Must for Your Bucket List

Everest Three Pinnacles: Renjo La, Cho La, Kongma La

The ultimate highlight about the Three Pass Trek is the three high mountain passes that surpass the highest of many small peaks in the world. Renjo La is the first pass on the circuit of located at the lowest altitude among the three, at 5,360 meters (about 17,560 feet). Renjo La is the connection of Gokyo with the Thame Valley and is simpler because it lacks a glacier crossing. The path is not difficult, and even yaks can make their way up it without problem and the eastern approach to Gokyo is not steep compared to that of the west which approaches Lumde and has a steeper slope. Upon arrival at the top, you are treated to a stunning view of Mount Everest and the Gokyo Lakes with deep blue-green color.

The middle pass out of the three is the Cho La. At an elevation of 5,420 meters and connects the Everest Base Camp trek to the Gokyo Valley trail, thereby allowing you to explore two famous routes in one go! Having a look back at the top of the pass, you will note many towering mountains surrounding you with truly astounding perspectives of Everest. The thrill you crossing icy glaciers gives anyone a sense of adrenaline rush! If you go down from Cho La, you will reach Dzongla, then to Lobuche, and finally gets you to Everest Base Camp.

At a staggering 5,535 meters tall, Kongma La is the highest of the three passes. To certain people, the most challenging of the passes is Kongma La, which is very high and has a rough terrain. But after the hard work the reward is staring down from the top, the Himalayan range would appear to be surrounding you. You will be able to see towering peaks like Lhotse, Makalu, and Ama Dablam. Kongma La’s trail connects to the beautiful Chhukung Valley below it, going through bumpy and icy terrain with a river crossing and a glacier crossing.

Ascending through high passes Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La, you get an experience of a lifetime and can get stunning views of the Himalayas in the Everest region.

Thrill Of High Altitude Adventure

Have you ever felt your heart rate increase as a thrill takes over you? It is what the Everest Three Passes Trek does. The trail entails a crossing of three difficult mountain passes: Renjo La at 5,360 meters, Cho La at 5,420 meters and Kongma La at 5,535 meters, all above the 5000-meter threshold. At such heights, the air is light and the climate unpredictable and the landscape severe, every step being tested by.

Renjo La is not the most difficult pass on the trek, but it is one that still poses a real challenge. Cho La requires painstaking navigation in the iced glacier and Kongma La is considered the highest and most remote pass with rugged tracks and biting winds. Dealing with the hurdles while trekking brings adventure and pride to the journey, which is indeed made real when you are standing at the top of each pass, scanning everything achieved.

The views are amazing at such heights, and you feel like you’re in the middle of the heavens. Conquering these passes is extremely rewarding, strengthening your confidence and imprinting these experiences into your mind. 

Breathtaking Landscapes And Mountain Views

The 3 Passes Trek is a highlight with the breathtaking scenery and the spectacular views of huge mountains. Right from the beginning, you walk between some of the world’s highest and most beautiful mountains. Passing over each mountain, you can see the famous Himalayan mountains, including Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, and more.

As you stand upon Renjo La Pass, you see the whole landscape filled with the incredible blues of Gokyo Lakes, the world’s highest freshwater lakes, in every direction. You will see remarkable ice formations on the Ngozumpa Glacier near the Gokyo Lakes, which provide a chance to view all the lakes at once. As you head to Cho La Pass, the rough glacier and icy slopes provide a dramatic setting against the grand mountains. 

Once on Kongma La Pass, the highest pass, you are blessed with a panoramic view including the magnificent ranges of the Everest region. The well-known pyramid profile of the famous Everest is visible high in the blue sky at Kala Patthar. While going on your adventure, you are going to find verdant valleys, a colorful forest of rhododendron, and ancient Sherpa villages that show the pattern of natural and cultural diversity.

The trek to Everest Three Passes offers a constantly changing scenery, both impressive and inspiring in the eyes of hikers who enjoy the magnificence of the mountains.

Serenity Of Off-Beaten Pathways

Do you know another unique feature of the 3  Passes Trek in Nepal? It is the calm and comfort it provides to one in its unknown paths. While this popular Everest Base Camp trail is always full of tourists, the Three Passes Trek lets you enjoy the peace of the Himalayas. Just you and nature!

While going through these calm walking routes, you move among thick rhododendron trees, near rivers, and up steep hills, listening to birds and feeling part of the scene. On these remote routes, you will find old traditional Sherpa villages such as Thame, Marlung, and Lumde where days pass slowly and without fuss. You will get a chance to see real Sherpa lifestyles, walk around old monasteries, and spend moments with friendly locals who love greeting trekkers.

The Everest 3 Pass Trekking is a rare experience because you can escape from the hustle and immerse yourself in the tranquil surroundings of the mountains. It is not only a feast for your eyes but also your mind and soul.

Deeper Exploration Of Sherpa Culture

 Do you know that for centuries, the Sherpa people have made their home in the steep peaks and valleys of Nepal with the Khumbu region? For a decade! Rather than the more traveled route to Everest Base Camp, the 3 Passes Trek goes to these small Sherpa settlements such as Thame, Marlung and Lumde where the native ways of life are continued.

As you walk around, you will be able to spot stone houses of old with wooden balconies, prayer flags hanging and mani walls with religious mantras. Taking visits to monasteries such as Tengboche, Pangboche, and Thame Gompa with foundations on Sherpa religious and learning cultures, enlightens you on their way of life. Buddhist deities murals and statues cover the monasteries, revealing the religious activities of the Sherpa people.

 When walking through their villages, you can get in contact with the people, view their traditions, see their daily routine, and understand their spiritual relationship with the mountains, which is meaningful to them. Adding cultural immersion to the trek as an element significantly increases the experience, combining natural scenery with a greater insight into Sherpa history and Himalayan Buddhism. Taking the Everest Three Passes trek is an indelible cultural experience you will never forget.

Tranquility within iconic Sagarmatha National Park

Sagarmatha National Park is famous for its peaceful and unspoiled natural environment and is regarded as a key attraction in the Everest 3 Passes Trek. why? Well, you will be surrounded by a quiet setting as they hike its expansive valleys, thick woods, and alpine meadows. This park which covers an area of 1,148 square kilometers, has been preserved since 1976! Entry into Sagarmatha National Park offers a sensation of another world where calm rules and city noises settle in the background, peace all over. 

And if the park supports the conservation of majestic Himalayan flora and fauna with red pandas, snow leopards, musk deer, Himalayan tahrs, and many more, it must have the tag UNESCO World Heritage site. The thick rhododendron groves along with raging rivers present that rare and serene beauty of nature. 

As you climb up, the park’s view changes slowly. The area of low elevation is covered by rich forests consisting of pine, fir and rhododendron trees. As you increase the height, the landscape changes into scattered juniper bushes and ends up as moss and lichen on the rocky snow line. 

Sherpa hamlets such as Khumjung, Khunde, Phortse, and Thame are scattered about Sagarmatha National Park, where people still live their ancient way of life.  Generation to generation, they have maintained their heritage! 

The isolation and serenity of Sagarmatha National Park transform the Three Pass Trek into a very spiritual journey through one of the most visually serene areas on the planet.

Holy Gokyo Lakes And Ngozumpa Glacier

We know that the Everest 3 Pass is for nature lovers with many natural wonders thrown here and there, such as the Gokyo Lakes and the Ngozumpa Glacier, both with their innate charm and beauty. Located in the Gokyo Valley, these Gokyo Lakes are glacially formed turquoise pools that are of deep religious importance to the locals. These are among the highest-altitude freshwater lakes in the world, with Himalayan giants standing down below, offering beauty and tranquility in the view.

The tour of the Gokyo Lakes ensures that the beautiful scenery of the lakes is rewarded to you, where the huge Dudh Pokhari lake is a favoured place of people who want to capture or dream of snow-capped mountains in the water. Just behind Dudh Pokhari is Gokyo Ri, a very popular summit from where climbs are highly rewarded with memory-filled panoramic views of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu. Certainly, looking at the high mountains reflected by the serene, crystalline lakes is a mind-blowing view.

Going beyond these lakes lies the Ngozumpa Glacier, long in length, longest in Nepal, and one of the biggest glaciers in the whole Himalayas. This giant river of ice is indeed a treat to the eyes, displaying the might of nature in full force. Gliding over an expanse of 36 kilometers! Crossing close to the Glacier adds to the spirit of adventure, particularly while walking towards Cho La Pass.

Thrill of Lukla Flight

Well, if you did some research, you have definitely heard of the Lukla flight.  The flight into Lukla is popularly renowned for the thrilling and spectacular scenes it provides, and it is not only the starting and the end point of the Three Passes Trekking Route. This approximate half-hour flight from Kathmandu into Lukla is in itself a stimulating adventure which previews the thrills that await in the trek.

Tenzing-Hillary Airport is the official name of Lukla Airport, which is especially well-known for its steep, demanding runway at an altitude of 2,860 meters. The terrace of a very steeply sloped runway and Lukla Airport’s short runway require a great deal of care, especially in the case of unpredictable mountain weather. The bumpy, steep approach makes the flight famous for its thrilling takeoff and landing, not just with the passengers, but also with of an adventurous first taste.

Moreover, the flight adds a distinctive opportunity to see the mesmerizing Himalayan views from a great height. As the aircraft approaches Lukla, trekkers have a panoramic view from above of jagged peaks of snow and narrow valleys, with small Sherpa settlements in the backdrop. Being immersed in the view from above, somewhere high, seems to be your unforgettable method of introduction to the rougher parts of the Khumbu region.

The combination of the thrill of adventure and the scenery as well as its convenience in cutting the trek short, makes the Lukla flight especially unique and a must on any journey to the Everest Three Passes.

Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar: Unlock New Heights

While the entire Three Pass Trek trail provides you with stunning views of the mountains, some of the most remarkable views of the mountains are enjoyed at Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar. Everest Base Camp is located at the foothills of Mount Everest at  5,364 meters, but you won’t be able to see the summit as it tumbles down the Khumbu Glacier. The Khumbu Glacier moves slowly downwards like a frozen river and you could even hear the sound of cracking ice as the glaciers move around! Base Camp offers a different view of the Khumbu Icefall, where the ice falls like waves of ice sliding down the mountain. In spring, you might see colourful tents as it is the entry point of climbers tackling the summit of the Everest.

Which is the best spot to see mt. Everest? Kala Patthar is famous for providing the most beautiful views of the mountains. At these 5545 meters, access to the clearest and most personal view of Mount Everest is achieved while standing on Kala Patthar. It provides an awesome panorama which includes Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Pumori rising in the sky. You will see a wonderful sunrise or sunset from Kala Patthar, since the snow-covered peaks take on a golden hue and the sky looks colourful as the sun comes up or goes down.

Aside from Everest, you will see the great Ama Dablam, Makalu, and Cho Oyu peaks from many points on the trail and feel the thrill of climbing to Base Camp and Kala Patthar.

Add-On Possibilities To Alternative Trips

Recognized as a thrilling adventure in Everest, the Everest Three Pass Trek can be combined with other famous trails to make the adventure longer and greater. Starting in 2025, new and upgraded trails have connected several iconic valleys and passes, so you can trek them all in one journey.

During your 3 Pass trek, you are free to do side treks on routes like Gokyo Lakes or Everest Base Camp, or even peak climbing of Mera Peak and Island Peak!. In total, these side trips often use up 4 to 6 extra days, but they make your overall trek much more memorable for both scenery and culture. 

But remember, if you organize your combined trek before you start, you will have time to get fit, arrange all paperwork, and know what to expect. You get to choose which parts of these routes fit your interests most, whether you like adventure, Sherpa village life, or mountain scenery. The good news is that many trekking agencies in Nepal provide you customizable Everest Three Passes Trek Itinerary so you can combine it with an alternative route easily.

Here is a summary of some popular combined treks with the Everest Three Passes Trek, which focuses on the best of Nepal's Everest region for a comprehensive approach:

Conclsion

To sum it up, the Three Passes Trek is an exciting and thrilling journey that has so much to offer. It is a very high-altitude trek with stunning scenery and cultural experiences in the middle of the Himalayas. Regardless of whether you visit the quiet Gokyo Lakes, the famous Everest Base Camp, or opt for more trails nearby, it lets you participate in both nature’s beauty and Sherpa cultural experiences. With the 10 reasons broken down, nothing is stopping you from planning the best-ever adventure of your life.